MASSIVE PROPS TO THE ORIGINAL BY MAKASH- check it out here:
Total Control v2.0 I wanted to post my take on the
Poacher's Menagerie gauntlet grinder deck. Menagerie is, in my opinion, the best Gauntlet card in the game. Most of the AI decks are powerless against it, and the ones that aren't are very exploitable (see below).
This deck is very slow; it will be even slower than similar decks since recurring the single Menagerie wincon is very slow. However, the results can't be denied; I'm currently 35-0 with it (5 complete runs) with no real close calls.
That being said, let's take an in-depth look at the deck.
Argenport Blueprints is to help with color/power screw. The relic it gives you is also really nice, not only because it lets you draw something important that died, but because it also acts as pseudo-protection for your Menagerie. The AI has targeted the relic from this over Menagerie with relic removal on multiple occasions, and I'm not quite sure what causes it. I'll update the primer with more information if I find it.
Sinister Rumors is really early removal and recursion. I wouldn't use its third effect unless you're at like 3 life and want to get rid of Torch or something (or an aegis for whatever reason).
Saloon Massacre is really good into extremely fast AI decks like the Skycrag one and the Charge and Double Damage bosses that can run you over without it.
I really like
Steyer's Eyes in this deck for consistency. It's a flying blocker that can gain life in a pinch, completely shut down some decks (because again, no relic removal) or fix your mana. If you don't need it, it's also a fine card to put in the market.
Vine Grafter and
Kerendon Merchant both completely short-circuit the attack AI and get you into the market; the former can also protect your big market units.
Auren Condemnation and
Slay are cheap single-target removal. Not much more to be said.
Hidden Road Smuggler is up to 4 in this list to help with life since
Vara, Vengeance-Seeker was relegated to the market. Also accesses the market; an obvious choice.
Nothing Remains and
Harsh Rule are your complete boardwipes. You need to be a little more careful about using the first one, since you don't want to voidbind something you want to recur later.
Even with the recent nerf,
Save the Day fits naturally into this deck and excels as an auxiliary field clearer that is nice if you don't want to blow your own board up. Don't be afraid to play this one for 7 if it helps you and you're not using the power for anything else.
Stormhalt Plating can't ever really brick due to Inscribe and is a nice finisher in main to speed things along, or to become a wincon if your Menagerie blows up.
Hoarding Builder is pretty much exclusively used to recur Menagerie if it gets blown up.
I already gave my
Poacher's Menagerie spiel earlier. This card is your primary wincon, and there are few scenarios where it shouldn't be your first card out of the market.
Vara, Vengeance-Seeker is Aegis hate and lifesteal in a pinch. It can also get pretty big if recurred (though, there might be a better market card for that purpose).
Inquisitor Makto is a sizable flyer that comes back indefinitely after boardwipes (unless you Nothing Remains it for some reason) and is a constant thorn in the AI's side. It also trades with Icaria if you're worried about her.
Hermitspawn gives a ton of value and acts as a secondary wincon if Menagerie is blown up. Also gets very massive and can be recurred. This is definitely the most replaceable card in the market if you want something specific like
Rolant, Iron Tyrant or even
Fall to Ruin or
Flamebathe Reformation.
Argenport Blueprints
x4
1
Sinister Rumors
x3
2
Saloon Massacre
x4
2
Steyer's Eyes
x3
2
Vine Grafter
x4
3
Auren Condemnation
x4
3
Hidden Road Smuggler
x4
3
Kerendon Merchant
x4
3
Slay
x4
4
Nothing Remains
x4
5
Harsh Rule
x4
7
Save the Day
x4
8
Stormhalt Plating
x4
Justice Sigil
x3
Shadow Sigil
x4
Argenport Cylix
x4
Argenport Insignia
x4
Argenport Tome
x4
Crest of Vengeance
x3
Seat of Vengeance
x3
View Deck on Shiftstoned
The biggest difference is the market grabbing happening. I use 4 Wasteland Broker and that's all. Then in the market is:
Poacher's Menagerie
Sediti, ...
Spire Loyalist
And 2 swing slots. Usually End of Story, 4 Cost Vara, Resonance Wave, some silence or small wipe card like Vara's Authority. I like to put inscribe in market because I can never draw power cards. Then I sometimes add only 1 or 2 copies of the new 2 cost market grab spells.
That overhaul deals with the worry of lack of win conditions. Or needing to recurr anything. You could still use a couple blueprints or Sinister Rumors to grab broker of he doesn't get silenced or voided.
You're right about a lot of the musts here:
Saloon Massacre (bane of gauntlet)
Auren Condemnation
Nothing Ramains
Harsh rule (×3)
Storm Plating
That's really the base necessities here. I would add:
A few slay is ok, but Ive switched almost solely to at least 4 Mystical Shackles. Shackles is a must against a lot of cards. Mostly the double damage deck of you run into it in the last round. Umbren Reaper, Azrog, Streetbreaker, Soulfire Drake the enemy Makto revenge deck, and also the enemy entomb Stonescar deck. Might even get lucky with a Vodakahn's Staff or something.
Shackles also sometimes eats up relic removal that would otherwise remove my other favorite new add to this deck: True Sight Map. It can be clunky if you draw more than 1 so good for market. But I put 2 in main. Card straight up wins games.
Another must for me is Hidden Garrote. Aegis is really annoying. Especially that shields deck. If kept alive this cards can beat the Elysian control deck by itself. Also, if you manage to keep one against the shields deck, justice deck, or Unseen Aegis deck, it ensures nothing will be shields from your removal. Better than the vara that gets either torched or Vanquished (very popular in gauntlet decks). Card is bad against the 40 copies of Vara's Favor you get hit with during your run 🤣 but is a necessity. So, most the time you play it AFTER they play a unit you wanna kill. Unless you know they don't play 1/4's or face burn cards, the opponent's AI usually won't waste a torch on you to destroy this. They will relic removal target it. But it costs 2. Usually ya don't care. Usually you just use it to kill a 2/2. And if it's something like a Crown watch Paladin, you just got value. More value is inscribing storm Plating and destroying 2 or more creatures like this.
Exploit is a must. I'm always happy to see it in opening hand. I usually need the plundering early to hit power cards and it hits so many early hands too often to not be a necessary card. Great against anything with entomb, charge or recurrence. But usually I go for cards like Xenan Obelisk or enemy sites or relic weapons. Using this card has also revealed the AIs motives, which are bad. They prioritize smaller cards first like seek power always. If their hand has a nasty 6 drop on turn 6 and a seek power, they will seek power and waste their momentum.
New 1 of Bring into Focus has been really nice. A 1 of Smite usually finds its target. Especially handy because it hits SO MANY gauntlet big threats like Sandstone Titan, or Ashara Deadshot.
Another card you may want is some type of dig like Cull the Deck. I was using this for a while. But then I switched to Display of Will ×2 to be greedy.
Recently added 2 Ziat's Crackdown. I sometimes had Vara's Authority here. But now I run this and a 1 Know thy Enemy to be cute and trying to grab broker or Seditis.